Website Launch Checklist: What to Check Before Going Live

Launch day goes best when most of the work is already done. Use this checklist to catch the problems that tend to slip through, ideally on a staging copy of the site before it goes public.

Content

• Every page has final text, with no placeholder or lorem ipsum
• Spelling and grammar are checked. See editing and proofreading
• Contact details, hours, and prices are correct
• Images are sized and have alt text. See alt text best practices
• Privacy policy and terms are in place. See privacy policy basics

Links and forms

• All internal links work and there are no dead ends
• External links open the right pages
• Every form submits, and the notification reaches the right inbox
• The thank-you message or page appears. See thank-you page best practices
• Phone numbers and email addresses are clickable

Design and devices

• The site works on current phones, tablets, and desktops
• It works in the main browsers
• Nothing overflows horizontally. See the mobile-friendly checklist
• Buttons and links are easy to tap. See touch target sizes
• Keyboard navigation works. See keyboard navigation and focus

Speed

• Pages load quickly on a mobile connection. See how to test website speed
• Images are compressed. See compressing images

SEO

• Each page has a unique title and description. See title tags and meta descriptions
• Headings follow a logical order. See headings for SEO
• The site is not blocked from search engines. Remove any staging noindex and check robots.txt
• An XML sitemap exists and is ready to submit
• Redirects are in place if URLs changed. See 301 redirects explained
• A custom 404 page works

Tracking

• Analytics is installed and counting visits. See analytics basics
• Conversions are tracked. See setting up conversion tracking
• The site is added to Google Search Console

Security and infrastructure

• HTTPS works on every page. See SSL and HTTPS
• Backups are running. See website backups
• Admin accounts have strong passwords and two-factor authentication
• Domain and hosting auto-renewal are on

Launch day and after

• Submit your sitemap to Search Console
• Update your Google Business Profile, social profiles, and email signature with the new site
• Re-test forms on the live site
• Watch for errors, traffic, and enquiries for the first week
• Plan a first review a month later. See how to run a website audit

The bottom line

A launch checklist turns a stressful day into a routine one. Work through it on a staging copy, again on the live site, and keep the list for future updates.